Stellar Kid: Cassandra Lin

Cassandra Lin

Age: ​12Home:​ Westerly, Rhode IslandOrganization:​ Project T.G.I.F.Objective: ​Recycling program which collects used cooking oil from the community and sells it for biodiesel; proceeds are used to heat homes of needy residents of Westerly

Summary: ​Cassandra Lin is part of a family of active humanitarians. She and her brother are both members of a community service organization called Westerly Innovations Network, started by her father in 2002. In competition with her older brother, Cassandra was looking for something to do on her own. Cassandra and her friends were looking to address a need in their community. Several factors contributed to the creation of her new group. First, she learned that the local program to assist needy families with their heating bills was in jeopardy. While attending the Rhode Island Green Expo in 2008 she learned that biodiesel could be made from used cooking oil. Then she heard that town sewage pipes were becoming clogged because residents and restaurants were pouring oils and grease down their drains. And Project Turn Grease Into Fuel was born.